Dry Ice

[kfinfam]

Has anyone ever used dry ice in a cooler to keep breast milk frozen? I've seen a couple of different options people have mentioned for helping keep milk on the ship but I'm a little leary still and would like to bring some backup milk. I've never used dry ice before but I hear its the best......??

[Seraphine]

How long is your cruise?

 

I don't know if a cruise line will even allow dry ice on board. Also, I don't think it will last long enough to maintain the cold temperature for very long (melt time is about 18 hours...not very long! Plus, as outline below, it can be hazerdous in a small enclosed space. Not unlike a cruise ship cabin!)

 

I would call guest special services for your line and ask them for assistance. Would you be bringing already expressed milk, or just wanting to freeze milk you've expressed while on the ship?

 

 

I found this on Yahoo Answers - I realise it's not the most precise source, but here goes:

 

How long does dry ice take to melt?

 

Q: I know it turns to gas and doesn't really melt but you know what I mean. How long would dry ice about the size of a brick take to melt? Also, where can one buy dry ice? Would like a baskin robbins sell it or a grocery store or what?

 

A: You can buy dry ice in many grocery stores. I have purchased it from Fry's, Smith's Vons, and Wal-Mart. You do have to be over 18 in most jurisdictions (mayhem can be wrought with dry ice).

 

Call the stores before you go out and find out who is selling it in your area. If things are desperate, call the ice manufacturers in your area (look in the yellow pages under "ice"). WM, as usual, has the best prices, at about a dollar a pound. You usually get it in chunks, pre-cut, that weigh from 3-5 lbs. A brick, if left whole, will take about 18 hours to melt. If you cut it up, it will take maybe 3-5 hours. If you put it in liquid, it will only last from 15-45 mins. Putting it in the freezer will do little to save your dry ice, unless it's a hot day outside.

 

Do not store dry ice in an enclosed room where you would be forced to breathe the carbon dioxide, and perhaps suffocate--don't worry too much though, you'll get some warning, by feeling dizzy and like you're choking. Just get some fresh air. Handle it only with a dry towel or oven mitts--never anything wet, or with bare hands. :eek:

 

That melting-but-not-melting thing you mention is called "sublimation," which is the term for a substance skipping the liquid phase in its transformation from solid to gas. In this case, dry ice melts from solid into gas, skipping the liquid phase.

[cb at sea]

Dry ice won't last for an entire cruise...Just breastfeed...as long as you do it on a regular basis, you will produce the milk you need. And, since a child has to be 6 mos. to cruise, supplementing at that age is not out of the question!

[kfinfam]

Well darn, looks like the dry ice wont be a viable option :( Thank you so much for the valuable information!!

 

My son will be 11 months at time of sailing and I will be in the process of weaning....so I would like to be able to put the breastmilk into a cup for him at least twice a day and wanted to make sure I had plenty on hand (I've been freezing for months already prepping for this time). I dont think I'll be able to pump as much as he'll need each day while we're cruising but I can try.

 

Also...on the selfish side.....I would like to have an adult beverage in the evenings, so another reason I would like to have extra milk on hand :)

 

I just ready a review where a gentleman was made to dump out the ice in his 6 pack size soft cooler before they would allow him to board and it made me a little nervous so I'll be calling Carnival about that to clarify. (And yes I know I can just refill when I get on board but who wants to take chances with their milk and not knowing how long the boarding process will take??)

 

Thanks for the feedback!

[jam82]

I used dry ice recently to transport food from my fridge on a five hour car trip and it actually froze the food solid.

 

Lesson learned.

[Baxter]

The Carnival ship we were on when I was expressing did not have fridges in the room, but they were happy to stock my supply in the fridge behind the purser's desk. We left home with frozen milk, which naturally thawed by the time we got on the ship. We used that first and just kept replacing as I pumped. Worked like a charm! Yes, my husband did make a tonne of trips back and forth to get milk or drop off milk, but it all worked out.

[Maryscooking]

I think I would just book a room with a fridge if at all possible.